learning to love mercy, act justly and walk humbly with God

The God of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah

“The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.”

“… the God of your ancestors …”

“Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel …”

“… the God of Jacob …”

“… the God of Abraham …”

These names for God were on the lips of the nation of Israel from the moment Moses heard the Voice speaking from the flames of the burning bush. They were repeated in song and in solemn assemblies as the nation remembered its identity as the chosen people of God.

Hearing these names conjures images of the patriarchs wandering the length and breadth of the land the Lord swore would be theirs, waiting for the promises to be fulfilled, and listening for the voice of God to offer direction. It speaks of the eternal nature of the Lord, and of his faithfulness to the men who would give rise to the nation that he would call his own.

But these men were not alone.

Alongside Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah. These were the women through whom the promised children would come. These are the women who came to know the eternal nature of God, his faithfulness and the truth of his promises though – like their husbands – they did not follow the Lord perfectly. They wavered with unbelief. They were impatient. They failed to trust in God’s timing.

Or, you could say, they were a lot like us.

A closer look at the lives of these women, though, reveals an overall life of faith in God and in experiences that point to the one who would provide the ultimate fulfillment of the covenant promises, Jesus.

What does it take for us today to cultivate a life of visible faith in which our humble walk with the Lord daily points to the promises we find in the resurrected Christ?

Let’s strap on our sandals, and find out by walking alongside Sarah in her journey with Abraham. It all begins in Haran, in ancient Mesopotamia.